E53: Hormones, Hearts, and ADHD: A Deep Dive with Dr. Dora Wynchank

The Christina Crowe Podcast: Making the invisible VISIBLE

Today we are making invisible things visible, with adult psychiatrist and ADHD researcher, Dr. Dora Wynchank, from The Netherlands. Dr. Dora Wynchank shares her expertise in Dr. Dora Wynchank shares her expertise in diagnosing & treating ADHD in women, the impact on couples & families, and through perimenopause. We also break down some of the maddening mystery behind the role of sleep and hormones.

We cover:

• How does circadian rhythm affect the sleep patterns of people with ADHD?
• The impact of perimenopause, menopause and the comeback of hormonal treatments for women with ADHD,
• The effects of ADHD on romantic relationships, including the impact of societal norms, gender roles/expectations and perfectionism,
• New research and tools coming: the Diva Diagnostic Interview, adjusted for girls and women.

Resources for After The Show:

• NEW: Female-specific pharmacotherapy in ADHD: premenstrual adjustment of psychostimulant dosage
• Article: Zeitgebers Are the Key to Helping Control Your Circadian Rhythms
• The DIVA Foundation and assessment scales,
• The Holland Sleep Disorders questionnaire
• Take part in the ADHD in Women research survey (for English, scroll down the page)
• The ADHD Powerbank - educational videos on ADHD (link coming in January 2024 - check back!),
• Light Therapy glasses for morning bright light.
• The OG: The ADHD Resource Hub,
• Use the discount code ‘CCPODCAST’ at checkout, for 15% off on DIY*ADHD.
• Use the discount code ‘PEBBLE’ at checkout, for 15% off on DIY*ADHD:Couples.

About our guest: Dora Wynchank, MBChB, MMed, FCPsych, Ph.D. works as a psychiatrist at the Intensive Specialist Program for ADHD and as a researcher at the Expertise Centre, ADHD, The Hague. Originally from South Africa, she studied medicine in Cape Town and Johannesburg, where she was active in student politics. Until 2014, she worked as a consultant psychiatrist in state hospitals and in private practice. During this time, she was a clinician, conducted pharmacological research, served on the Executive Committee of the Society of Psychiatrists and was Director of the patient advocacy group for Depression and Anxiety. In August 2014, she relocated with her family to The Netherlands, where she completed a PhD on adult ADHD and biological rhythms, at the Free University of Amsterdam. During the last 6 years, she has researched, published widely and presented her research internationally. She is editor of the DIVA Foundation. The DIVA is a diagnostic interview for the diagnosis of ADHD, available in 30 languages. She is currently working in the field of Adult ADHD at a psychiatric clinic called PsyQ and is a proud member of ADHD Europe.

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A gentle reminder that this is not therapy, and Christina is not your therapist. If you need more one on one support or treatment, please check out the links posted in the Show info and episode notes on the main podcast webpage.

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